At the beginning of the new millennium, the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa finds itself in a transitional period. The part the Dutch Reformed Church played in the sin of apartheid, can be directly ascribed to the legitimizing of the apartheid ideology. With reference to the above, the church preached an apartheid theology, in spite of serious warnings from within its own ranks. The misery of the 'suffering humanity' in our country is a direct result of apartheid. This study highlights the immense importance resting upon the Dutch Reformed Church to once again fulfil its diaconal role with reference to those who suffer.
This study investigates the transformation power of the metaphor as integral part of the cognitive- and language systems of the human being. The awareness of the implied contradictions between the applied and non-applied parts in the meaning of the word creates a tension in metaphorical speech.
The latter endows the metaphor with a dynamic power. The preacher may then apply creative metaphors in the sermon. He is therefore a creator of the metaphor. The effective use of the metaphor in preaching will enable him to empower his audience to be servants like Jesus. The effective use of metaphors in preaching will help to activate believers and will assist the diaconal church in relaying its prophetic message of salvation to those who suffer.
Through the active conduct and unity of the church, those who suffer
experience the salvation of the living Christ. This study implies that the
preacher should approach the text from his own experience, combined with an existentional knowledge of the needs of the people in need, to the text.
The study highlights the creative role of the preacher as creator of the
metaphor, and the activation of believers in the context of those who suffer, so that the church may fulfill its diaconal role.

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Unisa ETD [7983]Electronic versions of theses and dissertations submitted to Unisa since 2003